Wendy Ornelas, FAIA

Ornelas has taught studio, marketing, and management courses in the College of Architecture, Planning & Design (APDesign) and served as the Director of the Department of Architecture’s Academic Internship Program and the APDesign interdisciplinary doctoral program in Environmental Design and Planning. She currently teaches the graduate level Professional Practice course series as well as architectural design studios.

Ornelas is the recipient of the ACSA/AIAS New Faculty Teaching Award, past-president of AIA Kansas, recipient of AIA Kansas’ Henry W. Schirmer Distinguished Service Award, and the past director for the West Central Region of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA). In 2005, Ornelas was elevated to American Institute of Architects' College of Fellows. She is the first and only female and first and only Latino fellow in the state of Kansas.

Ornelas was the Central States Regional director for American Institute of Architects (AIA) and co-chair of AIA National's Diversity and Inclusion Council from 2012-2014. She was the board liaison to the Young Architects Forum, academic advisor for Central States Region's Emerging Professionals Committee, instigator of AIA Kansas' young architect's leadership program and faculty advisor for APDesign's Women in Design and AIAS chapters. She is active with National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) serving on their Board, and as its president in 2009-2010. Ornelas has also participated in numerous accreditation visits in the US and Canada, and internationally on substantial equivalency visits. She is one of three architecture representatives on the Kansas State Board of Technical Professions, and in 2013, she was named Distinguished Professor of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture. In 2015 she received the AIA Richard Upjohn Fellowship for her service on the AIA’s national board.